. >> reporter: president obama stating very clearly today that he will not negotiate deficit reduction, tax increases and spending cuts attached to the debt ceiling. this of course does follow that bruising battle the year before last, where he did negotiate on the issue, and the u.s. nearly went to the brink of default. he said that congress has to pay the bills that it's already racked up. >> you don't go out to dinner and then, you know, eat all you want and then leave without paying the check. and if you do, you're breaking the law. and congress should think about it the same way that the american people do. you don't -- now, if congress want, to have a debate about maybe we shouldn't go out to dinner next time, maybe we should go to a more modest restaurant, that's fine. that's the debate that we should have. >> reporter: in this press conference that was called last minute in the east room, president obama said he will negotiate a deal on deficit reduction but not, as he put it, quote, with a gun to the head of the american people. as you know, joe, republicans are saying they're